What is a belief?

It’s something that one accepts as true or real; a firmly held opinion or conviction.

Yes, firmly held.

There was a time when it was a commonly held belief that the world was flat. People felt they “knew” this. But was it true? We know now that it wasn’t, contrary to all evidence.

Is this computer screen you’re looking at solid? Not really. It’s composed of much more space than solid matter. In fact, it’s up for grabs whether anything solid actually even exists at all.

A lot of people don’t believe in psychic phenomena, or energy healing, even in the face of proof. So even if they experience it, they’ll write it off as something else. Do you see how they are limiting their experience of life? And limiting their options?

And we actively reinforce our beliefs.

It’s human nature to look for proof of what we already believe. How many politically active people do you know who read the columns of those on the other side of the fence, with an open mind? Typically, we read or listen to those whom we’re already in agreement with, to reinforce our “proof” that our point of view is correct.

Now, it’s apparent that some beliefs can be truly helpful. If they weren’t, we wouldn’t have such helpful results as are provided by the placebo effect, for example.

But a lot of beliefs are harmful. If you believe in something negative, you’ll continue to strengthen that reality’s likelihood of showing up in your life. You’ll see what you expect to see. This happens even with subconscious beliefs, such as “I’m not good enough”, or “I have bad genes”.

These beliefs become rigid patterns at our energetic levels and then they manifest difficulties.

But in either case, positive or negative, whenever you believe in something, you’re strengthening duality, not one-ness.

It’s like you’re drawing a circle around some part of what you perceive of as reality, and declaring that everything outside it is not true, or can’t exist. Ever.

By definition, belief is limiting.

And if we believe there’s no such thing as — for example — magic or miracles, we’re not as likely to experience them.

But wouldn’t you rather have a mind opened by wonder than closed by belief?

Can you see the value in opening to new possibilities?

Today, let’s open our minds by playing with the concept of belief a bit. Let’s loosen its hold on us.

Things change. We change — if we allow it. Maybe something’s shown itself to seem true in the past, but what if we open to a new possibility?

What if we allow this moment to speak for itself, without any restrictions? And if we must believe, then let’s at least allow for some free play.

Loosen your grip on belief … or rather, its grip on you!

Today, see if you can catch yourself whenever you think or say or write “I believe …”.

Or notice if certain reactions or actions you take are based on a belief.

If you do spot a belief, be aware that at some level you are choosing that belief.

Is that belief helping you? Is it limiting you?

Are you still open to ideas that might not fit that belief?

If so, take a moment to see if you can loosen its hold on you.

Instead of “I believe …”, say to yourself:

“I choose to think …”

“It’s possible (or probable) that …” (and here, include the opposite as well; see if that makes sense)

“I choose to act as if … “

“I theorize that … “

“Right now, it seems to me that … “

“This isn’t serving me or anyone. Maybe it’s possible that …”

Any of these will help you be open in the moment.

You’ll often find that you don’t really see it to be true right then.

Loosening its hold or actually questioning it opens a space for a new possibility.

When I took my first Matrix Energetics seminar back in 2007, it became really clear that the foundation for being able to facilitate transformation was being able to enter what they called “the state”, our subjective experience of accessing the Zero-Point Field.

There was a lot of confusion around that, and at the time, they didn’t go into much detail about it.

The good thing was that just being in such a large group (about 300), with Richard Bartlett as the lead, you somehow got into it by osmosis.

So we actually got there, even with very little specific instruction.

First Experiences

I knew I was in the state mainly because I was able to facilitate change for practice partners during our experiential segments.

My being in the state would also explain why the ceiling in my hotel room kept moving around like a wave that night (and I am not kidding).

I also noticed (although it’s hard to describe) my analytical mind having to clamber its way to the surface when someone asked me a practical question on day 3 of my first seminar. It was a little bit like how you sense your reality solidifying as you wake up from a dream.

But once we all returned to our respective homes and wanted to be able to do it on our own, it became more imperative that we have a clear sense of it.

So what the heck was this state, actually? And how could we get into it on our own?

First Lone Attempts

After returning home, my confidence evaporated. Not completely, but significantly.

To keep the momentum going, I participated in a lot of Matrix Energetics tele-seminars, a few in-person classes, and frequent practice get-togethers, some of them about the state.

We were taught more about how to intensify the state, with a few more suggestions about how to get into the state, but still the instructions were vague and not very clear about what, exactly, we were doing.

And like in the seminars, there was little if anything about what the state actually was, or even how to know if we were “in” it. At home, the sense of it didn’t (always) knock me over the head like it did during the seminar.

So I wasn’t quite as sure I was really there.

And I wasn’t the only one. There continued to be a lot of confusion on the part of just about everyone I knew who was practicing it.

I’ve noticed that nowadays, Richard and his new partner Melissa talk about entering the state as accessing the “field of the heart”. (And even when I learned Matrix Energetics, there was a lot of talk about “dropping down” into the heart.)

But that means different things to different people. And although that may be one way to access a version of it, that still doesn’t fully illuminate what it is or how to consistently “get there”.

Discovery!

Well, as I said, that was 6 years ago, and since then I’ve done a lot of my own investigation, experimentation, and discovery.

The good news is there are a lot of ways to get into the state that work — although some better than others.

There are also a lot of versions of being in the state — again, some more effective than others.

But in retrospect, I can’t help thinking that maybe the reason it wasn’t clarified more is because just sorta-kinda being in it is often good enough.

Really!

So what I’ve found to be true for me is that rather than try to pin it down, it’s best to just play at it.

A lot.

The Open State via an Open Mind

Because there are so many versions of this state, I’ve decided to refer to it here as the Open State, which seems to fit all of its expressions (that I know of, so far ).

It’s very experiential, with some common threads between people, yet some experiences that are unique. And not just unique to each individual, but often from one occasion to another.

I actually think that it’s beneficial to not go into it with expectations of how to best get there … and what it will be like when you do.

It may be that what works for you today will not work very well tomorrow.

It may be that what works best for you is just okay or ineffective for me, or vice versa.

I’ve noticed that feeling your way into it in the moment, and allowing a communion with it is all you need to do! With practice it becomes more and more easily accessible.

Allow the state of consciousness of doing nothing to become available to you and make it your trusted friend. Consciously spend some time and energy constructing this state in advance, knowing that often nothing happens at just the right time and that everything happens when nothing is being consciously done.

The less you do, the more power you can gain access to. When you are trying to do something or make something happen, you are “doing” with your limited awareness of what can be done. When you are in the tide and flow of events, you are no longer resisting their quantum potential benefits. Now anything is possible and many miraculous things become more likely.

In upcoming articles I’ll be elaborating on these various “versions” of how I’ve come to understand and experience what I now call the Open State.

I’ll do my best to explain it in a way that you can either understand or actually do.

It is a little challenging to talk about because we’re referring to a state of consciousness, and often our language just doesn’t have the words. But that’s okay, because it’s not an explaining or understanding kind of thing.

I’ll also explain how the Open State is beneficial — actually, critical — for facilitating transformation (in the form of Holographic Emergence™, my transformative service based mainly on my Matrix Energetics skills).

And I’ll show how I use it in my everyday life as well as how you can use it for your own “Emergence” into the person and life of your dreams — unencumbered and magnificently expressed!

Until then … Namasté,

Have you had experience with Matrix Energetics and what they call “the state”? If so, what’s your take on it? Please share in the comments. (And if you find this series interesting, please use the buttons below to share it with your friends. Thank you!)

Want to find out what I mean by “Emergence” – plus experience a session I did just for subscribers? You’ll receive the Emergence Primer + Tune-Up Session as a thank-you gift (it’s an instant download) when you subscribe to my free newsletter.

Books for the Brave

Lynne is a lay person who writes understandably about a variety of scientific principles and findings. This book is engrossing and focuses on the area of the zero-point field (which is relevant to my process during a Holographic Emergence™ session).

Besides being fascinating and fun to read, this book will turn your idea of how things work inside-out. It’s especially relevant to how we work with abundance and prosperity, but is easily applied to any area of life. Find out if you’re playing the wrong game, and how to play the real one.

Gary is a master and teacher of A Course in Miracles. These books both present a different perspective on it than is more popularly available, one that’s in line with the two previous books. They are both fun to read and are chock-full of ideas and information that will make you consider things in a much more expansive way.

This book is about epi-genetics and puts a new spin on what we think is set in stone, er, DNA. My takeaway is that our DNA functions more as a set of antennae picking up information from “the field” (see first book) than a set of pre-defined patterns, and is much more malleable than we’ve been taught.

Another book that will keep you fascinated all the way through. The author is a brain scientist who experienced a stroke and writes about her experiences during and after. You’ll get a new way of considering what your brain does to create what you experience as your perceptions, and you’ll understand that there’s a much more expanded reality than we’re typically conscious of.

Every time I read this, it’s as if I’m reading a new book. There are layers and layers of concepts in here, not only about Matrix Energetics as conceived of by the author, but also some of its possible underlying principles.

More about the principles behind Matrix Energetics, and also (like the previous book, Matrix Energetics) an inspiring example in Dr. Bartlett of how having an open, expanded mind actually opens you to much more possibility than you could ever imagine.

If you’ve read any of these, my readers and I would love to hear your impressions! Or even if you go off and read one or more of them now, do come back and add to the discussion. We’ll be here!

And if you want to know more about Emergence, sign up for my newsletter and as a free gift you’ll get the Emergence Primer plus a Tune-Up Session audio you can use over and over.

We’re encouraged to develop and honor it above all else, even to the exclusion of all else.

It’s too bad.

Being purely rational — even predominantly rational — limits us more than we know.

Open Mind & Open State

In my last post, I talked about the importance of having an open mind. And what I mean by this is not just being open to new, rational ideas.

It’s about opening your whole self, your larger “mind”, to the idea that you may not know it all; you may never know it all!

And it’s helpful to open to the possibility that there is more than we can ever know or understand.

What happens then is you allow some other parts of you to operate along with (or sometimes instead of) your rational mind.

It’s a more holistic, aware, intuitive, and in short, expanded way of being. (And so fun!)

This is an especially important foundation to build on if you want to be able to take advantage of the Open State that is critical to Emergence, allowing the magic that is you to unfold into your life.

As I’ve said before, if you believe there’s no such thing as magic, you’re not as likely to experience it.

Entering the Open State is easiest if you can expand your mind, or let go of your thoughts altogether (especially your thoughts of disbelief).

But in the meantime, you don’t have to be perfect.

Just make a start.

Open the door just a little.

An Enlivening Dance

The Open State and an open mind work together (or play together).

It’s like a dance, where each interacts with and enlivens the other.

Expanding and strengthening each is an iterative process.

I know this to be true as I am doing the dance, and have been for a long time!

If you’re willing to do this, you’ll find that rather than build new beliefs, your mind will be fluid and open to whatever shows up in the moment.

Your perceptions will be spontaneous and dynamic. (Much more about what this means and how you can do it too in the upcoming Open State series.)

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Enjoy!

Note: In my answer, I recommend a book called The Field by Lynne McTaggart. It’s a great way to help open your mind, and is a fun read, besides. You can always find it and other books I recommend in my store.

I’ll be recommending more books that are specifically on this topic shortly.

In the meantime, if you want to know more about Emergence, sign up for my newsletter. As a free gift you’ll get the Emergence Primer plus a Tune-Up Session audio that you can use over and over.

Or check out the posts listed in my side-bar for an ordered introduction to this new and exciting way of being and manifesting.

It went well, and it was enlightening for me to interact with those of you who participated (thank you)!

I got a great question during the Q & A that made something I’d been considering even more apparent.

It’s the importance of developing an open mind.

It’s the very first step, even before learning about the Open State and how to be in it.

We need to get out of our own way so that we can take advantage of what the Open State offers.

(If you were on the call, you heard me announce a February blog series about the Open State, but this made me realize I first want/need to write awhile about an open mind. So here we go!)

Can you let go of what you think you know and open your mind wide to all the possibilities?

An Open Mind

I’ve been developing my magical thinking all my life, really. I didn’t think about it that way at the time, but that’s what I was doing. It’s perfectly natural to me.

It’s so natural, that I’m coming to the conclusion that magic is the new normal: Many of my friends live that way, as do many of you.

If the idea of an open mind sounds or feels foreign to you, know that you can develop one deliberately.

Learning – Not!

And it’s not so much about learning something new. It’s more about UN-learning what you think you know.

UN-learning all your limiting beliefs.

Believing – Not!

And it’s not about believing in magic and miracles.

It’s not about believing in anything!

It’s about letting go of beliefs and being willing to open to the possibilities!

Then you’ll be not only more able, but also more motivated to embrace the Open State which is an expanded way of perceiving and experiencing (and the state from which you can easily facilitate magic and miracles).

A Foundation for Emergence

In many ways, an open mind is the primary foundation of Emergence. But to be more accurate, it’s more of a non-foundation, since unlike most foundations, it’s an undefined element.

Rather than being “solid”, it’s malleable and always changeable.

That’s the beauty, the magic, and the fun of it.

In the world where magic is the new normal, you get to make it up as you go. (Stick with me and you’ll “get” what this means. )

A New Mindset

So a truly open mind allows for a new mindset where your perspective remains fluid.

It enables you to open to the possibilities:

• Of the process

No rules!

• Of the results

No limits!

• Of reality

It may not be what you think it is — in fact, it’s probably not!

Your open mind will be much more open to possibilities than is the (old ) norm.

Disclosure

There is no paid advertising on Lightspirited Being. However, I do participate in a few affiliate programs where I earn a small fee if you make a purchase after clicking through one of my links. But rest assured, I only recommend books and products I absolutely love! Thanks for reading and helping make this site sustainable.